India a 'geocultural' nation, says Amit Shah

puducherry: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that culture was the common thread binding the citizens of the country across different regions and once India is started to be seen as a "geocultural" country, all the problems will be solved automatically.

In his address at the 150th borth anniversary celebrations of Sri Aurobindo in this union territory, Shah heaped praises on the latter for his contributions to the country and said that in order to understand India, one has to read or listen to him.

"From Kashmir to Kanyakumari to Dwaraka to Bengal, there is one culture that binds--Constitution is important...country should run on this. But if there is a bonding, it is the culture. The culture is its soul. This will be understood as soon as you read Sri Aurobindo," Amit Shah said.

Shah further said most countries came into existence due to a coalition or alliance and were therefore geopolitical in nature."There is one country in the world that is geocultural that is based on culture which has no boundaries and that is our India...and if one starts to look at India as a geocultural country, then all the problems will be automoatcially solved," he claimed.

There is no concept of border in our culture and the Vedas, Upanishads and literature there is no mention of

a country. "We work for the welfare of all, the world," he said.

Paying tributes to Sri Aurobindo, Shah also recalled his role in the country's freedom struggle, including his incarceration in the Alipore bomb case and hailed his vision for the country.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to celebrate the 75th year of independence as "Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav" was driven by the consideration to honour even the unknown freedom fighters and take all those involved in the freedom struggle to the younger masses and reinvigorate a sense patriotism among them. It is also an effort to inspiring people to strive towards making India a top country in all aspects between the 75th and 100th years of independence, Shah added.

The minister earlier visited the Aurobindo Ashram and paid homage at the memorials of Aurobindo and his spiritual collaborator, The Mother.

Later, at a different event, Shah laid the foundation stone for various government development projects as well as inaugurated the completed ones.